Myers' Psychology 9th Ed Chapter 4

Collectivism

Giving priority to goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly.

Individualism

Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications.

Aggression

Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone.

Role

A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

Gender Role

A set of expected behaviors for males or for females.

Environmental Relatives

Adoptive parents and siblings.

Mutations

Random errors in gene replication.

Gender Typing

The acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.

Personal Space

The buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies.

Genes

The complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes.

Culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Temperament

A person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

Norm

An understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. These prescribe "proper" behavior.

Genetic Relatives

Biological parents and siblings.

Environment

Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.

Gender

In psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female.

Gender Identity

Our sense of being male or female.

Interaction

The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity).

Testosterone

The most important of the male sex hormones. Stimulates growth of male sex organs in the fetus and development of male sex characteristics in puberty.

Natural Selection

The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

Heritability

The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. Can vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.

X Chromosome

The sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two; males have one. One from each parent produces a female child.

Y Chromosome

The sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with mother's chromosome, it produces a male child.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Behavior Genetics

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Molecular Genetics

The subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.

Social Learning Theory

The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded and punished.

Chromosomes

Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.

Identical Twins (Monozygotic)

Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.

Fraternal Twins (Dizygotic)

Twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sister, but they share a fetal environment.